Hoover City Schools is launching its Engaged Learning Initiative this year. Part of the initiative includes providing class sets of Barnes & Noble Nook Tablets to seven classrooms at Gwin Elementary School. Each student in these six classrooms has received a Nook Tablet to use during the school day and take home at night. T

Teachers are using the tablets across the entire curriculum to increase student engagement, learning, and test scores. Cecilia Brewer, a third-grade student in Mrs. Dark's class, said: " I like my Nook because it is helping me get all A's in spelling!"

During the 2011-2012 school year, Hoover only had two classroom with sets of devices. Due to its success, in 2012-2013, Hoover is anticipating adding 100 classrooms with sets of tablets. Technology is an essential part of education today, and the students love learning, social networking, and researching on their Nooks.

Gwin Elementary currently has four third-grade classrooms, one fourth-grade classroom, and two fifth-grade classrooms participating in the pilot. Representatives from Barnes & Noble have flown in to Alabama from all over the country to see this in action. What an exciting time for Gwin!